Developer Pearl Abyss has showcased three boss fights from its upcoming open-world action-adventure game Crimson Desert–a masked outcast known as the Reed Devil, the king of a fallen kingdom known as the Staglord, and the massive gem-encrusted Queen Stoneback Crab.
The new clips, as revealed at Gamescom this week, show off the variety in Crimson Desert’s boss combat, with each enemy requiring different skills and strategy to fight. The clips also introduce a little more of the world of Pywel, including some of the narrative cutscenes that lead into the boss fights.
The first of these bosses, the Queen Stoneback Crab, is decribed by Pearl Abyss as a kind of ambush predator, luring in unwary prey with the promise of valuable gems. “A gem-crusted boulder sits stoic and silent, a dazzling prism of riches,” the developer’s description reads. “Its shimmering splendor lures those intoxicated by greed to a seemingly innocuous hillock. Once they draw near, the Queen Stoneback Crab emerges to swiftly send all trespassers to an early grave.” We can only hope it has a weak point to attack for massive damage.
The second boss showcased is the Staglord. “In the ruins of a forgotten kingdom, a fallen king sits upon a forsaken throne,” Pearl Abyss describes this boss. “He waits in solitude, his blade poised to protect his ashen stronghold, ready to deliver judgment to any invader foolish enough to claim what’s his.”
The third boss showcased is the Reed Devil, whose backstory is expanded on both in Pearl Abyss’s decription and in the in-game dialogue leading up to his battle. “They say he was once a slum-dweller,” the description reads. “They say his fate was to die there, as an outcast. But when he donned his mask, he rewrote his destiny. Now he terrorizes the citizens of Hernand as the bogeyman they call ‘The Devil of the Reed Fields.'”
In Crimson Desert, players will take on the mantle of Kliff, the leader of the Greymane Free Company, as he explores the land of Pywel. Crimson Desert was first announced at The Game Awards in 2020, but Pearl Abyss only started sharing more information about the title with a gameplay reveal at Gamescom last year.
Crimson Desert is nominated for multiple titles in the Gamescom 2024 awards, including Best Visuals and Most Epic. The game is planned to release on consoles and PC, but is currently without an official release window.
